Saturday, July 16, 2011

Pollyanna In the Headlights


In the evening of the day I wrote the last post about pricing I went to that funky little rural library book sale I’ve mentioned a couple times in the past. Though I bought exactly five books – yes, count ‘em, FIVE – that isn’t really what this post is about. I’m more focused this morning on several changes I saw which could be notable. The first was a markedly shorter line that didn’t grow much until the last fifteen minutes and even then proved lackluster. No, forget lackluster. Let's be honest -- it was  DISMAL. Many of the dealers from that area had already quit coming a couple years ago when they banned scanners, so their absence isn’t the issue here. What’s disturbing was the lack of library patrons, especially given the fact that this library believes in rock-bottom pricing. In the old days, even minus all the Columbus dealers, the number of library patrons and their kids could have formed an impressive and enthusiastic Conga line. This time you  couldn't have scared up a square dance.

The second disconcerting thing was the large signs everywhere warning that the sale is in jeopardy due to the lack of volunteers. Again, this has never been a problem in the past. Never. And we’ve been going to this sale since 1997. Every time someone checked out, the volunteer at the table warned that it might be the last sale and pleaded with people to save it by volunteering. The third shocker was the books themselves. Years ago you could haul some pretty fine things out of there, but in the past three years or so to get anything of consequence required eagle eyes and due diligence. But, that being said, the problem was not due to scarcity. On the contrary, books jammed the shelves, spilled out of boxes onto the floor and required two rooms to contain them. They still have the two rooms, but that’s about all that can be said about that. Trust me -- there was no spilling involved last Thursday.

In addition to us there appeared to be three dealers present. One was an experienced seller who has been around at least as long as we have and is a regular; another was a long time ebayer, again around as long as we have, but relatively new to this sale; and the third was a newcomer who, if he doesn’t already have a scanner might want to consider one and steer clear of sales which ban them. He bought – and I am not exaggerating – sixteen plastic tubs of cheap paperbacks, most of which were pocket-sized, and none of which have any real monetary value. All I can say is good luck with THAT. I didn’t talk to him, but I did talk to the other two and both seemed deflated – so much so that I could feel my own spirits plummeting to a hard landing before we even got inside. Both bemoaned the difficulty of finding desirable stock, but that’s not particularly new. What’s new is that both admitted to sharply decreasing sales, especially the ebayer whom I met the last time I was at this sale and haven’t seen since. He was definitely disillusioned back then, but compared to now he was downright chipper.

Ebay, it seems, has raised prices yet again and burdened sellers with even more inane rules and regulations. As he sees it, they are also pushing hard for free shipping and have designed their rating system in such a way that a seller who doesn’t offer it stands a high probability of getting zapped by the buyer no matter how little he or she charges. While it made me glad that I left ebay last summer, just hearing about it brought back a tidal wave of the tension and depression that triggered my abrupt withdrawal from “fee-bay” in the first place. It’s important to note here that the seller who shared all this with me is no dummy – he’s a book guy and a savvy one – but he’s also working a full-time job and then putting in four hours every night after work selling books to pay his kids’ tuition. He’s getting the job done, but just barely.

“It used to be so good I actually considered quitting my day job. Am I ever glad I didn’t. I’m working harder than ever before to make so much less money and the fees are killing me. I’m looking at $125 a month at ebay and that’s without selling or listing anything new and I'm talking about before the new changes. By the time the final value fees are added ….” His voice drifted off.

“I’m still making SOME money,” he said a moment later. “But it isn’t fun anymore. These days I dread going to sales.”

Before I could respond, the door opened and the sale began. As I perused the shelves I felt an overwhelming sadness for him, for my bookseller friend who is looking for a job in a bad economy, for all of us for whom technology gave in abundance and then took away accordingly. But now, a day and a half later, I already feel in myself a resurgence of the light, hope, and excitement I felt before I went to the sale. If you’ve been around for awhile you know full well that I’m as capable of doom and gloom as anybody. I whine, I moan, I fret, I wail, I gnash my teeth and rend my garments. I even do that thing that begins with a "p" that isn't preveracate, but sounds something like it. A reader once reminded me of  that word, but I STILL I don't remember it. What I do know  is this:

Nowhere ever were we guaranteed sameness. Life is all about change, so all we can do is strap on our ugly tennis shoes and get moving

Bemoaning the good old days is a waste of time. They’re over. Believe it.

Business as usual is a formula for failure. The old model can no longer carry the full freight indefinitely.

We each need to make a concrete plan for ourselves -- and be ready to change it.

The old adage about thinking outside the box has never been more crucial. Had anyone told me last year that I’d be the doing the stuff I’m doing now I would have scoffed. But I’m doing it with every fiber of my being and mostly having fun.

New endeavors generate excitement. A few of my ideas have already crashed and burned, but a couple others seem promising, at least for now. If they work out I will be able to do this in a much less stressful way. Goodbye Alibris. Goodbye Biblio …

Looking to a brighter future motivates. I, too, am working harder than ever for less, primarily because of escalating fees and the cost of inventory, shipping, and hardware.  But I still wake up excited – at least most of the time.

And, finally, it's  all about survival of the fittest. There is no way on God’s green earth that the current number of “booksellers” is sustainable. Some will survive, most won’t. Which group I will be in remains to be seen. But I know one thing – I won’t go down easily.

Pollyanna may be the deer in the headlights, but at least she's running.

4 comments:

Saturday Evening Post said...

A retail buyers view -- At one time I prowled used bookstores, looking for particular books. Once the internet became a popular marketplace, buyers and sellers could easily find each other, and they did, and it's done. I don't go looking much, because I already have what I want, and the individual sellers have sold theirs. Of course, I don't get to find the great stuff that I didn't know existed.

tess said...

You got a book from ME which is why we are still hanging out in cyberspace all these years! And I am ever so honored too. :-)

Saturday Evening Post said...

Yes, and I actually found a couple of those treasures that I didn't know existed, on your site. Your's is one the few sites where books are actually described sufficiently to whet one's appetite. For most internet purchases, you have to learn about the books elsewhere.

tess said...

This is quite true and becoming more so. These days you can't tell if it's the full set or just one volume, whether it's hard cover or soft etc., much less edition and condition. VERY frustrating!But this is also the result of encouraging people who know nothing about books to play bookseller.